From Fr Steven - September 22nd
UPDATES
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
This week I would like to bring you up to speed to some of the projects that are happening.
CHURCH RESTORATION: We had some delay in the whole project, because we were not aware of the need for the approval from the Archdiocese. We are on the final stages of getting the green light to move ahead. The next step, which will start very soon, will be the flooring. In the meantime, we are working on giving the pews a fresh look. They all were sent to Lloyd’s in Hudson to be sanded and refinished. The kneelers are also going to be replaced by new ones. So when the pews come back, they will look like brand new! The painting process has been completed. The columns and a few touch ups here and there were the last part of it. This week we will start the process to get the organ repaired. At the original scope of work, it was decided that the organ would be restored, not replaced. Now we will search for the company to start that work.
PARISH WEBSITE: Fr. Przemek, Rob McCabe and Sara Servano have been working diligently on a new website for the past month. We changed our provider, to make sure that the website is secure and properly maintained. It will have a complete new look to it. They will write more about it in these coming weeks before the website goes live.
MUSIC DIRECTOR: Over this past year, our search committee has gone through the many resumes that applicants sent us. Most of them were from out of state, and a considerable amount were from out of the country. After the interview process, they commended me a person who was very happy to take the position. He was scheduled to start now at the beginning of September, but he had some setbacks and had to delay his start. We are looking at some different options as how to proceed. In the meantime, we are looking for local organists to cover our masses. Our Adult choir did start their rehearsals, and soon will start singing at the masses. The Children choir, however, will have to wait until we can find a solution to have someone accompanying them. We are doing our best to find and coordinate the music for all the masses. We are grateful to Mr. Kevin Lyczak who is playing the organ at some masses and the CME who is also helping us during this time.
As these projects develop and move forward, we will do our best to keep you all updated. Please feel free to stop me or call the office for further clarification.
God bless,
Fr. Steven
From Fr. Steven - September 15th
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Please prayerfully read the article below from Cardinal Seán that was published in the Boston Globe on immigration, September 9, 2019. This is an important topic that our society is facing.
God bless,
Fr. Steven
The human consequences of our immigration policies
By Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley
September 9, 2019
Immigration is as ancient as recorded history. It is driven by multiple factors — people move because they are afraid, oppressed, or to escape violence and chaos. Immigration is often accompanied by human tragedy. But not always — people also move because of hopes and dreams. They move to find new opportunities, and they move to contribute to their new country. Having worked with immigrant communities throughout my priesthood, I have seen how deeply patriotic they are when they are welcomed to this country.
Immigration in our time has far exceeded previous experience. The World Health Organization estimates that one billion people are migrating today. We live in a globalized world; in that context, movement is perpetual. Ideas move, products move, money moves. But people do not migrate easily. Obstacles abound.
Part of the reason is that our globalized world is structured and governed by sovereign states. It is a basic function of states to establish secure boundaries, defining the territory where they exercise sovereignty.
Security and sovereignty are part of the reality of immigration, but they are not all of it. Sovereignty has moral content, but it is not an absolute value. The immigration policy of states should combine security with a generous spirit of welcome for those in danger and in need.
That necessary combination of values is seriously lacking in the United States today. Principal responsibility for this moral failure must rest with the federal government, where policy is a product primarily of the president and Congress. But it also must be recognized that, as a society, we are deeply divided over immigration. Our divisions have produced severe human consequences — it is imperative to acknowledge some of them.
First, the most dramatic and dehumanizing consequence is to be found on the border with Mexico. To be sure, the challenge — thousands of adults and children seeking asylum every day — is unprecedented in recent history. But even a challenge of this severity, in a country of our resources and capabilities, cannot justify how these children and families are being treated. The overarching policy of the US government lacks justification.
Rather than a humane plan, existing policy in word and deed is more focused on castigating and confining young and old, male and female, in conditions often pervasively unfit for human life and dignity.
Second, rather than focus the efforts of all relevant agencies on the relief of suffering at the border, there are continuing threats made that the government will scour the country to remove people who have settled here and whose children are citizens.
Third, the dysfunction of our policy is acknowledged across the political spectrum of our country. The crisis at the border and the focus on removals leave the broader policy agenda unresolved in the executive and legislative branches of government.
To be sure, there are thousands at the border who require immediate attention. But there are also 11 million unauthorized immigrants in our midst with no policy to stabilize their existence and provide a path to citizenship — a policy objective advocated by the Catholic Church for decades.
Among the 11 million people are 3.6 million people brought to the United States as children, of which only 700,000 have temporary protection from deportation through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which is itself under threat. There are also over 400,000 people with Temporary Protected Status who are living in limbo. They have come to the United States for various reasons — for some, their countries have suffered natural disasters and they have no viable option to return home. There are no policies in place to allow TPS holders, the majority of whom have lived in the United States for more than 20 years, to earn lawful residency and move forward in their lives.
The point of identifying these broad categories and consequences of existing policy is to highlight that practical, concrete choices are available to correct a dysfunctional policy. First, we should recognize that economic assistance to El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Haiti, and Mexico could assist people to remain in their home countries. In addition, the historic “guest worker” program, which provides temporary visas for workers, can contribute to the needs of the United States as well. However, our policies on Central America seem exclusively focused on threats, coercion, and punishment. This is surely misguided.
Developing positive solutions does not seem to be the motivating concern of existing policy. Instead, the current emphasis, we are told, is on “deterrence,” a term at home in military policy that is now being advocated to confront people with no power of any kind. The targets in this case are not an armed array of hostile attackers. They are women, children, families.
Fourth, while deterrence can have some role in law enforcement and has been used by other administrations, much depends on the spirit and motivation that animates our broader immigration policy. Current US policy and practices combine to project an attitude of animus toward immigrants. Most evident is the language used at times to describe people on our borders; it is often degrading and demoralizing.
Beyond language, there are the policies to reduce the number of refugees the United States will welcome. The numbers have been reduced substantially, and threats exist to reduce them to zero. The federal government recently announced it will expedite removals of undocumented immigrants without judicial appeal or oversight and move to provide for unlimited detention of families seeking asylum. The tenor, tone, and result of these policies communicate a distinct message: We have no room in our hearts and no space in our country for people facing life-and-death situations. This hostile spirit toward immigrants extends to proposals to expel some of those receiving crucial medical care. A similar spirit of lack of compassion and generosity is manifested in new proposals to focus immigration increasingly on merit-based applicants, leaving the poor excluded.
Our present moment requires civility and charity among the citizens of our society and toward those hoping to become citizens. As a country it is a good time to remember the biblical axiom: To whom much is given, much is expected.
From Fr. Steven - September 8th
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Welcome back! I know that summer was really short and we would like to have just one more week, but Labor Day is always a sign that life gets back on track. I hope that you had some time to relax, visit family, rest, or stay home and get to those projects that we were waiting for the summer to do. Today I would like to reflect on vocation. We often speak and pray for more vocations, but what is this “vocation”? What does it mean?
The word “vocation” has the etymological roots in the Latin word vocare, “to call” or to “be called.” The youth would cite the definition from Wikipedia, which is the entry when you google it. It states that it “is an occupation to which a person is specially drawn or for which they are suited, trained, or qualified.” Often vocation is referred to as the call to the priesthood, or the religious life in general. However, everyone is called by God. Surely not all are called to be priests or nuns. Vocation could also include marriage, to be a missionary and some even say that there is a call to live a single life. What is this “occupation” that God calls us, that we are “suited, trained and qualified” for? Wikipedia quotes the Catechism of the Catholic Church citing “Love is the fundamental and innate vocation of every human being.” (2392) In other words, God calls us, or we are called by God, to LOVE. We are suited, trained, and qualified to love. If you love as a priest, nun, spouse, or as a single person, that is secondary. The Second Vatican Council document called Lumen Gentium says that we are all called to holiness. Because of that we speak of the universal call to holiness. But the call to holiness is rooted in LOVE. It says that Love/Charity governs, shapes, and perfects all the means of sanctification. (LG 42). St Therese of Lisieux says that LOVE, IN FACT, IS THE VOCATION WHICH INCLUDES ALL OTHERS; IT'S A UNIVERSE OF ITS OWN, COMPRISING ALL TIME AND SPACE - IT'S ETERNAL!
Please note that nowhere does it say who we should or should not love. It only says to love. Jesus himself commands us to Love “one another”, our neighbor. He goes further and explains how we should love one another, namely, “AS HE HAS LOVED US.” I understand that with some people it is more challenging to accomplish this mission. With others it might be impossible, or just beyond our human strength. That actually could be true, that’s why God has loved us first; He has filled our hearts with HIS LOVE. He suited, trained and qualified us not with our love, but with HIS LOVE. If our soul had a DNA sequence, it would read L-O-V-E instead of A-T-C-G. We inherited that “genetic code” from our (heavenly) Father. When God created us in his image and likeness, he created out of love and to love. In theology when reflecting about the creation of man and woman, we say that it was necessary to create a companion for Adam, otherwise he would never be able to love, to fulfill the essence of his life.
I would like to invite each of us this week to reflect about the call that we all have received to love. When we see the world divided, polarized, and separated in so many groups, ideologies, political parties, only love is capable of uniting. The Jewish scholars say that when the Jews settled in Babel, they lost their love for one another and that’s why they began to speak all different languages. No one understood each other, because they all looked for their own interest instead of the common good! Let’s all overcome our needs, to lower our fences to be able to see our neighbor and his needs. As St. Francis said to his brothers as he was sending them to preach all over Europe, “preach always, when necessary, use words.”
As this week we remember the birth of Mary, we recall that God planned ahead of time for Mary to be the dwelling place for the Son. You should rejoice too! God has chosen you to be his dwelling place as well!
God bless,
Fr. Steven
From Fr. Steven & Leonardo Ciama - September 1st
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I hope you all enjoyed your summer with your family and friends and all of God’s blessings. We welcome each one of you back to the parish and especially our Immaculate Conception School students. We are looking forward to a new school year and seeing the children, faculty and staff around!
Leonardo Ciampa, our Interim Music Director will be leaving Immaculate Conception this weekend. Please see his letter below. Please join me showing our deep gratitude to him and for all he has done for our parish these last 11 months. He came in a very difficult time and stayed even as we moved downstairs. Please join us in keeping him in our prayers. As a new Director of Music is named, we will keep you posted.
God bless,
Fr. Steven
Dear members of the I.C. Parish community,
This weekend will be my last as Interim Director of Music. It has been a privilege to be among you for these 11 months. I have accepted a similar position at Emanuel Lutheran Church in Worcester, where I begin on September 8th. It is a beautiful church with an exceptional pipe organ and a congregation committed to fine music. Though I will miss many of you, I feel very excited about this new opportunity. I will also be busily preparing for a concert of my own compositions in October at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City (the largest cathedral in the world, and the largest church in the Western Hemisphere). Please pray for me as I embark on these exciting ventures. I will continue to pray for you, as well.
Respectfully yours,
Leonardo Ciampa
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RESTORATION OF THE CHURCH
We could not have imagined what happened to our Church on January 20th, 2019. The fire was devastating and caused much more damage than we originally thought. This is not the first time our Church has suffered a catastrophic loss. In 1869, the Church was hit by lightning causing extensive damage. The steeple of the church was toppled by the 1938 New England Hurricane.
The parishioners of Immaculate Conception Parish are a dedicated and generous group of people. We have come together in our temporary home in the lower Church. But it's time to continue our preparations to return to our home in the upper Church. We are fortunate that the insurance will cover all the fire related damage and we have the opportunity to address other vitally important aspects of the church in a cost-effective manner. For instance, using the scaffolding for other improvements while the insurance restoration proceeds saves us a lot of money. Delaying these much needed projects would only cost us more money in the future.
We have identified the following needs:
Pew Restoration – Over the last 50 years, the pews have been subject to the accumulation of dirt, grease, oils, and other debris. Periodic cleaning has helped maintain the appearance but it also sealed in some of the debris with the application of polishes and cleaners. We have the opportunity to refinish the pews and re-align the spacing to make more comfortable and bring the access into compliance with current safety requirements.
Flooring-Current titles are buckling and must be replaced. In addition to posing a trip hazard, the buckling tiles allow for water to penetrate through the seams and could damage the subfloor and Lower Church below. With the pews removed, this is the time to replace them so there is no future disruption. A few years ago, Fr. Michael replaced some tiles to try to extend the life of the floor but they have reached the end of their economic life.
Lights- Lighting is decades old, inefficient, and bulbs are no longer available for the main fixtures in parts of the church. The lighting needs to be updated while the scaffolding is up to replace the fixtures with more efficient LED lighting. We are working with MassSave to try to convert all lighting to LED lighting that is energy efficient and cost-effective.
Music- Each music group brings their own equipment which is inconvenient and difficult for our music ministry volunteers. Enhancing our music ministry area will provide better quality sound with pre-programmed equipment for use by all music groups.
I, and the restoration committee will be holding a meeting to present the project to the parish in the Chapel (Lower Church).
Our predecessors who faced catastrophic losses rose to the challenge and rebuilt our Church. Now it's our turn to prepare our Church for the generations that sit in the pews of our Church after us. The IC Church Restoration Fund has been created for this purpose. It is our turn to be good stewards of our parish home. We are undertaking this project not just for us, but for future generations that will call Immaculate Conception home. Our fundraising goal is $600,000.00. This may seem like an insurmountable sum, but together we can achieve this goal. Please watch the parish website, Facebook, and the future bulletins for more information about how you can help restore our parish home.
Anyone who wishes to make a contribution to the IC Church Restoration Fund now may do so using the green envelopes located in the back of the Church, or via the on-line giving link or PayPal link on the parish website.
Our Parish has persevered through natural disasters, burst pipes, and failing boilers. Together, we will overcome the challenges we are facing together as a result of the fire of 2019.
Fr Steven Clemence
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LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD-- SAY NO TO EXPANDED ABORTION IN MASSACHUSETTS
BostonCatholic.org
MassCatholicConference
The Massachusetts Legislature will be considering two proposed laws HB3320 (click here) and SB 1209 (click here) that, if enacted into law, would have the following devastating effects:
1) Contact your local Senator and Representative and let them know that you are opposed to these two bills and that you are a voter in their district.
Also encourage your family, friends, and neighbors to take the same action. A zip code based link to your two legislators can be found by clicking here.
2) Contact the members of the Joint Committee on Judiciary.
This committee will be considering HB 3320. Although a hearing date has not been set, please let the committee members know that you oppose HB 3320. A link to the committee members can be found by clicking here.
3) Contact the members of the Joint Committee on Public Health.
This committee will be considering SB 1209. Although a hearing date has not been set, please let the committee members know that you oppose SB 1209. A link to the committee members can be found by clicking here.
Finally, check back often. Massachusetts Catholic Conference (click here) will be updating the site when the two committees set the hearing dates.
--VOTE NO--“Act to Remove Obstacles and Expand Abortion Access”Dear Brothers,
A number of you have requested that Talking Points be suggested concerning the New House Bill #3320 and Senate Bill #1209, “The ROE Act”, which has been proposed by both the State Senate and House membership.
There are 5 easily identifiable major issues that should be communicated. If passed, the law:
1. Allows abortion on demand in our Commonwealth for all nine months of pregnancy;
2. Removes any requirement that even late term abortions be performed in hospitals;
3. Removes any need for a young girl to obtain any consent whatsoever before undergoing an abortion procedure;
4. Removes any requirement that efforts be made to save a living baby who survives the abortion procedure; and
5. Funds these types of abortions through the “Healthy Start” program even for women who do not qualify for MassHealth.
Moving forward the recommended Course of Action follows:
First order of business -
> Awareness: educating our congregations of the extreme nature of the Bills.
Second order of business -
> Mobilization: encouraging parishioners to contact State Representatives (by email, letter or phone) to discourage support for this bill.
Following is a simple guide to assist parishioners in finding the name and contact information for their state senator and state representative. The parish could also provide the names of elected officials who represent the communities served by your parish.
Parishioners can go to malegislature.gov in their search bar. At the top of the page, there is a white strip with dark blue lettering. Click on the “Legislators” tab. A “drop down” menu will appear. To find the name of your state senator and/or state representative, scroll down to the “Find Your Legislators” link under the left-hand section entitled “Legislators”. The name and contact information for your state senator and state representative will appear. Note: If you live in a neighborhood of the City of Boston, list your City/Town as “Boston” – not your individual neighborhood (Dorchester, West Roxbury etc.) even if that is your mailing address.
You can also call: Main State House Phone Number at (617) 722-2000
Or Mail: State House, Boston, MA 02133
Vote No on H3320 & S1209
“Act to Remove Obstacles and Expand Abortion Access”
Bishops Speak Out Against Abortion Legislation A Statement of the Roman Catholic Bishops of MassachusettsMassCatholicConference
The Massachusetts State Legislature will consider passing into law two deeply troubling bills this legislative session. They are identical in text but differ slightly in their titles. The first, (HB 3320) is “An Act removing obstacles and expanding access to women’s reproductive health”. The second, (SB 1209) is “An Act to remove obstacles and expand abortion access”. Combined they share the same acronym – ROE.
The supporters of these bills argue the proposed changes to Massachusetts law are simply intended to protect a woman’s right to an abortion in the event the United States Supreme Court overturns the 1973 decision in the case of Roe v. Wade. However, in reality these bills would create a significant expansion of current Massachusetts state law. More specifically, ROE would:
The Catholic Church has always upheld the dignity of human life and spoken out against abortion at all stages of pregnancy. As Bishops we are encouraged by the most recent statistics which clearly indicate that the rate of abortions in both this state and across the country has significantly decreased over the past 40 years. In fact, the rates today are 50% lower than the rates in 1980. However, at a time when the overall number of abortions have decreased, society cannot now accept such an egregious attack on human life as these bills would provide.
Therefore, we, the Roman Catholic Bishops of the four Dioceses of Massachusetts, call on our elected officials to carefully consider the consequences that these bills would bring to the lives of infants, parents, families and the citizens of the Commonwealth. We urge all people of good will, regardless of what faith they practice, to vigorously oppose these extreme measures.
FORMED.org | Streaming FREE! an online tool for educating and faith-building.
As a gift IC has purchased a parish-wide subscription to formed.org. Formed is an online database of Catholic resources, featuring an ever expanding and updating source of movies, books, and programs aimed at enriching our catholic studies and continuing our spiritual growth. Visit formed.org and enter our Parish code BYY6MN to register free!
Online Giving
IC offers Online Giving, an easy to setup and hassle-free way to give to our parish collection each week. Please follow this link to register or update your pre-existing account.
Theology on Tap
The 4th Wednesday of each month, 7pm @ Welly's Restaurant
Saint Vincent de Paul
The 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month, 6pm @ Convent - Room 202
UPDATES
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
This week I would like to bring you up to speed to some of the projects that are happening.
CHURCH RESTORATION: We had some delay in the whole project, because we were not aware of the need for the approval from the Archdiocese. We are on the final stages of getting the green light to move ahead. The next step, which will start very soon, will be the flooring. In the meantime, we are working on giving the pews a fresh look. They all were sent to Lloyd’s in Hudson to be sanded and refinished. The kneelers are also going to be replaced by new ones. So when the pews come back, they will look like brand new! The painting process has been completed. The columns and a few touch ups here and there were the last part of it. This week we will start the process to get the organ repaired. At the original scope of work, it was decided that the organ would be restored, not replaced. Now we will search for the company to start that work.
PARISH WEBSITE: Fr. Przemek, Rob McCabe and Sara Servano have been working diligently on a new website for the past month. We changed our provider, to make sure that the website is secure and properly maintained. It will have a complete new look to it. They will write more about it in these coming weeks before the website goes live.
MUSIC DIRECTOR: Over this past year, our search committee has gone through the many resumes that applicants sent us. Most of them were from out of state, and a considerable amount were from out of the country. After the interview process, they commended me a person who was very happy to take the position. He was scheduled to start now at the beginning of September, but he had some setbacks and had to delay his start. We are looking at some different options as how to proceed. In the meantime, we are looking for local organists to cover our masses. Our Adult choir did start their rehearsals, and soon will start singing at the masses. The Children choir, however, will have to wait until we can find a solution to have someone accompanying them. We are doing our best to find and coordinate the music for all the masses. We are grateful to Mr. Kevin Lyczak who is playing the organ at some masses and the CME who is also helping us during this time.
As these projects develop and move forward, we will do our best to keep you all updated. Please feel free to stop me or call the office for further clarification.
God bless,
Fr. Steven
From Fr. Steven - September 15th
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Please prayerfully read the article below from Cardinal Seán that was published in the Boston Globe on immigration, September 9, 2019. This is an important topic that our society is facing.
God bless,
Fr. Steven
The human consequences of our immigration policies
By Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley
September 9, 2019
Immigration is as ancient as recorded history. It is driven by multiple factors — people move because they are afraid, oppressed, or to escape violence and chaos. Immigration is often accompanied by human tragedy. But not always — people also move because of hopes and dreams. They move to find new opportunities, and they move to contribute to their new country. Having worked with immigrant communities throughout my priesthood, I have seen how deeply patriotic they are when they are welcomed to this country.
Immigration in our time has far exceeded previous experience. The World Health Organization estimates that one billion people are migrating today. We live in a globalized world; in that context, movement is perpetual. Ideas move, products move, money moves. But people do not migrate easily. Obstacles abound.
Part of the reason is that our globalized world is structured and governed by sovereign states. It is a basic function of states to establish secure boundaries, defining the territory where they exercise sovereignty.
Security and sovereignty are part of the reality of immigration, but they are not all of it. Sovereignty has moral content, but it is not an absolute value. The immigration policy of states should combine security with a generous spirit of welcome for those in danger and in need.
That necessary combination of values is seriously lacking in the United States today. Principal responsibility for this moral failure must rest with the federal government, where policy is a product primarily of the president and Congress. But it also must be recognized that, as a society, we are deeply divided over immigration. Our divisions have produced severe human consequences — it is imperative to acknowledge some of them.
First, the most dramatic and dehumanizing consequence is to be found on the border with Mexico. To be sure, the challenge — thousands of adults and children seeking asylum every day — is unprecedented in recent history. But even a challenge of this severity, in a country of our resources and capabilities, cannot justify how these children and families are being treated. The overarching policy of the US government lacks justification.
Rather than a humane plan, existing policy in word and deed is more focused on castigating and confining young and old, male and female, in conditions often pervasively unfit for human life and dignity.
Second, rather than focus the efforts of all relevant agencies on the relief of suffering at the border, there are continuing threats made that the government will scour the country to remove people who have settled here and whose children are citizens.
Third, the dysfunction of our policy is acknowledged across the political spectrum of our country. The crisis at the border and the focus on removals leave the broader policy agenda unresolved in the executive and legislative branches of government.
To be sure, there are thousands at the border who require immediate attention. But there are also 11 million unauthorized immigrants in our midst with no policy to stabilize their existence and provide a path to citizenship — a policy objective advocated by the Catholic Church for decades.
Among the 11 million people are 3.6 million people brought to the United States as children, of which only 700,000 have temporary protection from deportation through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which is itself under threat. There are also over 400,000 people with Temporary Protected Status who are living in limbo. They have come to the United States for various reasons — for some, their countries have suffered natural disasters and they have no viable option to return home. There are no policies in place to allow TPS holders, the majority of whom have lived in the United States for more than 20 years, to earn lawful residency and move forward in their lives.
The point of identifying these broad categories and consequences of existing policy is to highlight that practical, concrete choices are available to correct a dysfunctional policy. First, we should recognize that economic assistance to El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Haiti, and Mexico could assist people to remain in their home countries. In addition, the historic “guest worker” program, which provides temporary visas for workers, can contribute to the needs of the United States as well. However, our policies on Central America seem exclusively focused on threats, coercion, and punishment. This is surely misguided.
Developing positive solutions does not seem to be the motivating concern of existing policy. Instead, the current emphasis, we are told, is on “deterrence,” a term at home in military policy that is now being advocated to confront people with no power of any kind. The targets in this case are not an armed array of hostile attackers. They are women, children, families.
Fourth, while deterrence can have some role in law enforcement and has been used by other administrations, much depends on the spirit and motivation that animates our broader immigration policy. Current US policy and practices combine to project an attitude of animus toward immigrants. Most evident is the language used at times to describe people on our borders; it is often degrading and demoralizing.
Beyond language, there are the policies to reduce the number of refugees the United States will welcome. The numbers have been reduced substantially, and threats exist to reduce them to zero. The federal government recently announced it will expedite removals of undocumented immigrants without judicial appeal or oversight and move to provide for unlimited detention of families seeking asylum. The tenor, tone, and result of these policies communicate a distinct message: We have no room in our hearts and no space in our country for people facing life-and-death situations. This hostile spirit toward immigrants extends to proposals to expel some of those receiving crucial medical care. A similar spirit of lack of compassion and generosity is manifested in new proposals to focus immigration increasingly on merit-based applicants, leaving the poor excluded.
Our present moment requires civility and charity among the citizens of our society and toward those hoping to become citizens. As a country it is a good time to remember the biblical axiom: To whom much is given, much is expected.
From Fr. Steven - September 8th
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Welcome back! I know that summer was really short and we would like to have just one more week, but Labor Day is always a sign that life gets back on track. I hope that you had some time to relax, visit family, rest, or stay home and get to those projects that we were waiting for the summer to do. Today I would like to reflect on vocation. We often speak and pray for more vocations, but what is this “vocation”? What does it mean?
The word “vocation” has the etymological roots in the Latin word vocare, “to call” or to “be called.” The youth would cite the definition from Wikipedia, which is the entry when you google it. It states that it “is an occupation to which a person is specially drawn or for which they are suited, trained, or qualified.” Often vocation is referred to as the call to the priesthood, or the religious life in general. However, everyone is called by God. Surely not all are called to be priests or nuns. Vocation could also include marriage, to be a missionary and some even say that there is a call to live a single life. What is this “occupation” that God calls us, that we are “suited, trained and qualified” for? Wikipedia quotes the Catechism of the Catholic Church citing “Love is the fundamental and innate vocation of every human being.” (2392) In other words, God calls us, or we are called by God, to LOVE. We are suited, trained, and qualified to love. If you love as a priest, nun, spouse, or as a single person, that is secondary. The Second Vatican Council document called Lumen Gentium says that we are all called to holiness. Because of that we speak of the universal call to holiness. But the call to holiness is rooted in LOVE. It says that Love/Charity governs, shapes, and perfects all the means of sanctification. (LG 42). St Therese of Lisieux says that LOVE, IN FACT, IS THE VOCATION WHICH INCLUDES ALL OTHERS; IT'S A UNIVERSE OF ITS OWN, COMPRISING ALL TIME AND SPACE - IT'S ETERNAL!
Please note that nowhere does it say who we should or should not love. It only says to love. Jesus himself commands us to Love “one another”, our neighbor. He goes further and explains how we should love one another, namely, “AS HE HAS LOVED US.” I understand that with some people it is more challenging to accomplish this mission. With others it might be impossible, or just beyond our human strength. That actually could be true, that’s why God has loved us first; He has filled our hearts with HIS LOVE. He suited, trained and qualified us not with our love, but with HIS LOVE. If our soul had a DNA sequence, it would read L-O-V-E instead of A-T-C-G. We inherited that “genetic code” from our (heavenly) Father. When God created us in his image and likeness, he created out of love and to love. In theology when reflecting about the creation of man and woman, we say that it was necessary to create a companion for Adam, otherwise he would never be able to love, to fulfill the essence of his life.
I would like to invite each of us this week to reflect about the call that we all have received to love. When we see the world divided, polarized, and separated in so many groups, ideologies, political parties, only love is capable of uniting. The Jewish scholars say that when the Jews settled in Babel, they lost their love for one another and that’s why they began to speak all different languages. No one understood each other, because they all looked for their own interest instead of the common good! Let’s all overcome our needs, to lower our fences to be able to see our neighbor and his needs. As St. Francis said to his brothers as he was sending them to preach all over Europe, “preach always, when necessary, use words.”
As this week we remember the birth of Mary, we recall that God planned ahead of time for Mary to be the dwelling place for the Son. You should rejoice too! God has chosen you to be his dwelling place as well!
God bless,
Fr. Steven
From Fr. Steven & Leonardo Ciama - September 1st
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I hope you all enjoyed your summer with your family and friends and all of God’s blessings. We welcome each one of you back to the parish and especially our Immaculate Conception School students. We are looking forward to a new school year and seeing the children, faculty and staff around!
Leonardo Ciampa, our Interim Music Director will be leaving Immaculate Conception this weekend. Please see his letter below. Please join me showing our deep gratitude to him and for all he has done for our parish these last 11 months. He came in a very difficult time and stayed even as we moved downstairs. Please join us in keeping him in our prayers. As a new Director of Music is named, we will keep you posted.
God bless,
Fr. Steven
Dear members of the I.C. Parish community,
This weekend will be my last as Interim Director of Music. It has been a privilege to be among you for these 11 months. I have accepted a similar position at Emanuel Lutheran Church in Worcester, where I begin on September 8th. It is a beautiful church with an exceptional pipe organ and a congregation committed to fine music. Though I will miss many of you, I feel very excited about this new opportunity. I will also be busily preparing for a concert of my own compositions in October at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City (the largest cathedral in the world, and the largest church in the Western Hemisphere). Please pray for me as I embark on these exciting ventures. I will continue to pray for you, as well.
Respectfully yours,
Leonardo Ciampa
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RESTORATION OF THE CHURCH
We could not have imagined what happened to our Church on January 20th, 2019. The fire was devastating and caused much more damage than we originally thought. This is not the first time our Church has suffered a catastrophic loss. In 1869, the Church was hit by lightning causing extensive damage. The steeple of the church was toppled by the 1938 New England Hurricane.
The parishioners of Immaculate Conception Parish are a dedicated and generous group of people. We have come together in our temporary home in the lower Church. But it's time to continue our preparations to return to our home in the upper Church. We are fortunate that the insurance will cover all the fire related damage and we have the opportunity to address other vitally important aspects of the church in a cost-effective manner. For instance, using the scaffolding for other improvements while the insurance restoration proceeds saves us a lot of money. Delaying these much needed projects would only cost us more money in the future.
We have identified the following needs:
Pew Restoration – Over the last 50 years, the pews have been subject to the accumulation of dirt, grease, oils, and other debris. Periodic cleaning has helped maintain the appearance but it also sealed in some of the debris with the application of polishes and cleaners. We have the opportunity to refinish the pews and re-align the spacing to make more comfortable and bring the access into compliance with current safety requirements.
Flooring-Current titles are buckling and must be replaced. In addition to posing a trip hazard, the buckling tiles allow for water to penetrate through the seams and could damage the subfloor and Lower Church below. With the pews removed, this is the time to replace them so there is no future disruption. A few years ago, Fr. Michael replaced some tiles to try to extend the life of the floor but they have reached the end of their economic life.
Lights- Lighting is decades old, inefficient, and bulbs are no longer available for the main fixtures in parts of the church. The lighting needs to be updated while the scaffolding is up to replace the fixtures with more efficient LED lighting. We are working with MassSave to try to convert all lighting to LED lighting that is energy efficient and cost-effective.
Music- Each music group brings their own equipment which is inconvenient and difficult for our music ministry volunteers. Enhancing our music ministry area will provide better quality sound with pre-programmed equipment for use by all music groups.
I, and the restoration committee will be holding a meeting to present the project to the parish in the Chapel (Lower Church).
Our predecessors who faced catastrophic losses rose to the challenge and rebuilt our Church. Now it's our turn to prepare our Church for the generations that sit in the pews of our Church after us. The IC Church Restoration Fund has been created for this purpose. It is our turn to be good stewards of our parish home. We are undertaking this project not just for us, but for future generations that will call Immaculate Conception home. Our fundraising goal is $600,000.00. This may seem like an insurmountable sum, but together we can achieve this goal. Please watch the parish website, Facebook, and the future bulletins for more information about how you can help restore our parish home.
Anyone who wishes to make a contribution to the IC Church Restoration Fund now may do so using the green envelopes located in the back of the Church, or via the on-line giving link or PayPal link on the parish website.
Our Parish has persevered through natural disasters, burst pipes, and failing boilers. Together, we will overcome the challenges we are facing together as a result of the fire of 2019.
Fr Steven Clemence
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LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD-- SAY NO TO EXPANDED ABORTION IN MASSACHUSETTS
BostonCatholic.org
MassCatholicConference
The Massachusetts Legislature will be considering two proposed laws HB3320 (click here) and SB 1209 (click here) that, if enacted into law, would have the following devastating effects:
- Allows abortions during the nine months of pregnancy for virtually any reason.
- Eliminates any requirements that abortions be performed in a hospital.
- Eliminates the requirement to provide medical care to a child who survives an attempted abortion.
- Eliminates the requirement that a minor have the consent of a parent, guardian, or the courts.
- Provides state funding for women who cannot afford the procedure.
1) Contact your local Senator and Representative and let them know that you are opposed to these two bills and that you are a voter in their district.
Also encourage your family, friends, and neighbors to take the same action. A zip code based link to your two legislators can be found by clicking here.
2) Contact the members of the Joint Committee on Judiciary.
This committee will be considering HB 3320. Although a hearing date has not been set, please let the committee members know that you oppose HB 3320. A link to the committee members can be found by clicking here.
3) Contact the members of the Joint Committee on Public Health.
This committee will be considering SB 1209. Although a hearing date has not been set, please let the committee members know that you oppose SB 1209. A link to the committee members can be found by clicking here.
Finally, check back often. Massachusetts Catholic Conference (click here) will be updating the site when the two committees set the hearing dates.
--VOTE NO--“Act to Remove Obstacles and Expand Abortion Access”Dear Brothers,
A number of you have requested that Talking Points be suggested concerning the New House Bill #3320 and Senate Bill #1209, “The ROE Act”, which has been proposed by both the State Senate and House membership.
There are 5 easily identifiable major issues that should be communicated. If passed, the law:
1. Allows abortion on demand in our Commonwealth for all nine months of pregnancy;
2. Removes any requirement that even late term abortions be performed in hospitals;
3. Removes any need for a young girl to obtain any consent whatsoever before undergoing an abortion procedure;
4. Removes any requirement that efforts be made to save a living baby who survives the abortion procedure; and
5. Funds these types of abortions through the “Healthy Start” program even for women who do not qualify for MassHealth.
Moving forward the recommended Course of Action follows:
First order of business -
> Awareness: educating our congregations of the extreme nature of the Bills.
Second order of business -
> Mobilization: encouraging parishioners to contact State Representatives (by email, letter or phone) to discourage support for this bill.
Following is a simple guide to assist parishioners in finding the name and contact information for their state senator and state representative. The parish could also provide the names of elected officials who represent the communities served by your parish.
Parishioners can go to malegislature.gov in their search bar. At the top of the page, there is a white strip with dark blue lettering. Click on the “Legislators” tab. A “drop down” menu will appear. To find the name of your state senator and/or state representative, scroll down to the “Find Your Legislators” link under the left-hand section entitled “Legislators”. The name and contact information for your state senator and state representative will appear. Note: If you live in a neighborhood of the City of Boston, list your City/Town as “Boston” – not your individual neighborhood (Dorchester, West Roxbury etc.) even if that is your mailing address.
You can also call: Main State House Phone Number at (617) 722-2000
Or Mail: State House, Boston, MA 02133
Vote No on H3320 & S1209
“Act to Remove Obstacles and Expand Abortion Access”
Bishops Speak Out Against Abortion Legislation A Statement of the Roman Catholic Bishops of MassachusettsMassCatholicConference
The Massachusetts State Legislature will consider passing into law two deeply troubling bills this legislative session. They are identical in text but differ slightly in their titles. The first, (HB 3320) is “An Act removing obstacles and expanding access to women’s reproductive health”. The second, (SB 1209) is “An Act to remove obstacles and expand abortion access”. Combined they share the same acronym – ROE.
The supporters of these bills argue the proposed changes to Massachusetts law are simply intended to protect a woman’s right to an abortion in the event the United States Supreme Court overturns the 1973 decision in the case of Roe v. Wade. However, in reality these bills would create a significant expansion of current Massachusetts state law. More specifically, ROE would:
- Allow abortions during the nine months of pregnancy for virtually any reason.
- Eliminate any requirements that abortions be performed in a hospital.
- Eliminate the requirement that provides medical care to a child who survives an abortion attempt.
- Eliminate the requirement that a minor under the age of 18 have the consent of a parent, guardian, or the courts.
- Provide state funding for women who cannot afford the procedure.
- A physician, acting within their lawful scope of practice, may perform an abortion when, according to the physician’s best medical judgment based on the facts of the patient’s case, the patient is beyond twenty- four weeks from the commencement of pregnancy and the abortion is necessary to protect the patient’s life or physical or mental health, or in cases of lethal fetal anomalies, or where the fetus is incompatible with sustained life outside the uterus. Medical judgement may be exercised in the light of all factors – physical, emotional, psychological, familial, and the person’s age – relevant to the well-being of the patient.(1)
The Catholic Church has always upheld the dignity of human life and spoken out against abortion at all stages of pregnancy. As Bishops we are encouraged by the most recent statistics which clearly indicate that the rate of abortions in both this state and across the country has significantly decreased over the past 40 years. In fact, the rates today are 50% lower than the rates in 1980. However, at a time when the overall number of abortions have decreased, society cannot now accept such an egregious attack on human life as these bills would provide.
Therefore, we, the Roman Catholic Bishops of the four Dioceses of Massachusetts, call on our elected officials to carefully consider the consequences that these bills would bring to the lives of infants, parents, families and the citizens of the Commonwealth. We urge all people of good will, regardless of what faith they practice, to vigorously oppose these extreme measures.
FORMED.org | Streaming FREE! an online tool for educating and faith-building.
As a gift IC has purchased a parish-wide subscription to formed.org. Formed is an online database of Catholic resources, featuring an ever expanding and updating source of movies, books, and programs aimed at enriching our catholic studies and continuing our spiritual growth. Visit formed.org and enter our Parish code BYY6MN to register free!
Online Giving
IC offers Online Giving, an easy to setup and hassle-free way to give to our parish collection each week. Please follow this link to register or update your pre-existing account.
Theology on Tap
The 4th Wednesday of each month, 7pm @ Welly's Restaurant
Saint Vincent de Paul
The 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month, 6pm @ Convent - Room 202
